David and Goliath

Hello, dear listeners,

It’s funny how some stories are so familiar that they almost disappear into the background.

“David and Goliath” — which we cover in today’s episode — has become the meme of all memes. We use it constantly — journalists, sports announcers, politicians — and we instinctively understand what someone means when they describe an election, a lawsuit, or a football game as “a David and Goliath story.”

But somewhere along the way, it seems like we stopped paying attention to the story itself.

When I went back recently and read it again, what stood out wasn’t the giant or the unlikely victory. It was the fear that paralyzes an entire army for weeks on end.

Until one young guy walks down into the valley.

Growing up, my family loved this story because we imagined ourselves as David. We were the tiny, righteous remnant standing against the giants: institutions, hostile crowds, and a culture that wanted us gone.

And the truth is…it did take genuine courage for us to stand up in the face of so much resistance. But our courage came bound to something else: the absolute certainty that we, and only we, were on the side of righteousness.

I’ve since learned how much harm a person can do while being brave.

It raises a question I’ve found myself wrestling with since losing my faith: How do you keep your courage once you’ve given up on certainty?

I think that’s a question worth asking whether you’re religious or not, and I’d love to know how you answer it.

Yours,

Megan